Letter or mail box



(No'Model.)

L. PRINCE.-

` LETTER 0R MAIL BOX.- No. 306,953. Patepted oon. 21, 1884.

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LETTER ORM/iu. Box.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,953, dated October 21, 1884.

Application filed March 3, 1884. (No model.)

To @Z 'whom it may concer/t.-

4Be it known that I, LOUIS PRINCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county oi' Holmes and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful I mpro'vements in Letter or Mail Boxes; and I do hereby declare theqfollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in letter or mail boxes, more especially to that class employed in cities, and which are secured to lamp-posts or other suitable places; and the object of' my invention is to produce a letter or mail box that will facilitate the collecting of the mail by the carriers, and in which the letters are'separated from the printed matter, also, that such printed matter, although of considerable size orbulk, can be dropped into the box, and at the same ti me cannot be reached or taken out of the boX by unauthorized persons; furthermore, that such printed mattersuch as newspapers, pamphlets, &e.-'-can be kept perfectly dry, and need not be placed on top of the box, as is now the case with the ordinary letter-boxes in use, also, that said boxes are not liable to get out of order, and can be produced at a very moderate cost.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts of a letter-box, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and

more specifically pointed out in the claims,

reierencebeing had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

Like letters indicate similar parts in the different gurcs of the drawings, in which Figure l represents a front view of my improved letter-box, showing the mail-bag attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of' the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on the line a; a' of Fig. l. Fig. 4L is au irregular longitudinal section on the line y y. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on theline .c Figs. (i and 7 are enlargedv sectional detail views of the upper part of the mail-bag.

In the accompanying drawings,'A represents the outer shell or casing, which is divided into two compartments, B and G, the upper one being intended for the printed matter and the lower one forletters. The upper part is covered by-a hinged part, I), pivoted to the roof or top c, and the hinge is protected against rain, rbc., by a water-shed, c'.

In the side ofthe compartment B a hole, d, is placed, covered by a pivoted door or flap, d', n and on the inner side of the hole are arranged a series of sharp-ended converging points, d, to prevent the possibility of withdrawing any printed matter dropped through the hole d, as a hand inserted would be caught if holding anysuch matter. These points are preferably made of steel or any other suitable material. The lower compartment, C, has an inclined bottom, C', so that when asliding door, D, is opened by the letter-carrier and his mailbag has been attached the letters will fall into it by gravity. rlhe door D is connected at its upper end with the hinged cover b by 7o a rod, e, which has a hook, e', that engages with a loop, f, or slotted lug, so that the door D and cover b can move together, and said loop can com-pensate for their combined movenient. The door moves between a recessed flange, g, and is provided at one side with a slotted lug, lr, with which the bolt of a springlock, t', engages andlocks said door in position. A spring, E, is attached to the door D, and

projects into a small casing, k, between which 8o and the door it is compressed when the door moves upward after being released from the bolt of the lock. Theloek is preferably placed in a side extension, F.

On each side of the casing A-is arranged a 8 5 iiange, c, over which the mail-bag Gis suspended. This mail-bag is secured to a' metal top, H, consisting of two hinged plates, Z and 7.", of which the plate iis provided with the re cessed flanges m, which lit over the flanges a, by which the bag is then suspended until the carrier lhas removed the mail. The letters are introduced through a side opening, o, in the casing, which is protected against the inv elemencies of the weather by a water-shed, u. 95

The letter-box can be made of' any suitablematerial and of any desired size, and it may be made ornamental or plain, as preferred. The door D has a knob, p, by which it can be drawn down when it is desired to lock the box. roo

The cover b is provided on its sides with flanges b', to protect it against the rain, Src.

The operation ,is as follows: lhc .letters are introduced through the opening o, and the newspapers and other printed matter through the hole d. Then the carrier arrives, he first attaches his mail-bag by the fianges on. to the fianges a and opens it. IIe then unlocks the box, when the door l) will rise instantly by the action of the spring E, and at the same time the cover will be raised by the rod c. The letters will slide into the bag on account ofthe inclined bottom, and the printedmatter ca-n be removed from the upper compartment by the carrier. When all the mail has been removed, the carrier will pull down the door D bythe knob p,whicli at the same time closes the cover b, and the spring-lock will firmly secure the box until it is again to be opened.

It will be readily seen that the letter-box perfectly protected against the inclemencies of the weather. It can be opened, emptied, and closed again much quicker than those now in use. It is perfectly safe, and cannot be tampered with by unauthorized persons, and it cannot get out of order.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secule by Letters Patent, 1s-

Il. In a mail-box having an upper andlower compartment, a sliding door and hinged cover connected and operated together in the manner shown, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a mail-box having an upperand lower compartment, the latter provided with an inclined bottom and closed by a sliding door, connected by a rod to a hinged cover of the upper compartment, and both opened by the action of a spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mail-box having an upper andlower compartment, the former provided with a hole, d, protected by converging points to prevent the abstraction of printed matter, as specified.

4. In a mailbox having an upper and lower compartment, the former provided with a hinged cover, b, whose hinge is protected by a water-shed, c, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of an upper compartment, B, having hinged cover I) and opening (I, protected by converging points d, with the Vcover b ol' the upper compartment, and both opened by the action of' a spring, E, when unlocked, substantially as specified, and for the purpose described.

7. A mail-box having upper and lower con1- partmcnt, the latter provided with an inclined bottom, a sliding door connected fo a hinged cover of the upper compartment, and flanges a, for attachment oll the mail-bag, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The mail-box herein described, having upper and lower compartment, the former having` an opening, (l, protected by points d, and a hinged cover, b, and the lower compartment provided with an opening, o, an inclined bot. tom, and a sliding door connected to and op erated with the cover in the manner shown and set forth.

9. The upper compartment, B, of' a mai-lboX, having hinged cover Z), a watershed, c', over said hinge, and a l0op, for attachment of`a rod, c, connected to a sliding door, lf), el'

a lower compartment, (l, with spring lil, inclined bottom C', an extension, F, for a springlock, and flanges ai, for attachment ol' a mailbag, as and for the purpose specified.

l0. A. mail-box having upper" and lower compartments, provided with hinged cover l) and sliding door D', connected and operated as specified, and the upper compartment having an opening, d, cover fl', and protected b v converging points t, and the lower compari` nient having an opening, o, with water-slual n, and an inclined bottom, C, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I hereby al'fx my si nature in presence of two witnesses.

LOU IS PRIN Ulli. NVit-nesses:

GUY L. Dn Morire, ALEX. Sinon: 

